Tuesday, May 22, 2018

If you set out to make an ice cream or sorbet from a
vegetable, celery wouldn’t be your first choice, but nevertheless, these
unremarkable ribs produce a shockingly delicious frozen treat. And, I said
“frozen treat,” instead of dessert for a reason, since this has as many savory
applications as sweet ones.

The first time I ever had something like this, it was used
to garnish a plate of salmon gravlax. It was presented next to the cold, cured
fish, on a pile of crispy rye breadcrumbs, and the combination of tastes,
textures, and temperatures truly was incredible. After that meal, I promised myself I’d figure out how to
make this stuff no matter how long, or many failed attempts it took. Luckily,
Mark Bittman had already posted a recipe for it in the Times, so I ended up
nailing it on the first try, but still, promise kept.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, there are like a
hundred hacks online for how to do this without one, or you can simply use the
method highlighted in our strawberry granite video, which will produce something
closer in texture to a snow cone, but amazing nonetheless. No matter what you use,
I really do hope you give this very unusual, but absolutely delicious celery
sorbet a try soon. Enjoy!

Friday, May 18, 2018

I’m not sure what your usual breakfast routine entails, but
chances are you occasionally get bored with it, and crave something completely
different, and when that happens, it doesn’t get much more different than this
fast, and easy fried cheese egg toast. Be careful though, since afterwards it’s
not easy going back to that bowl of oatmeal.

While pan-frying cheese may not sound particularly healthy, as
it caramelizes, it gives up a fair amount of butter fat, which stays behind in
the pan. So, you could actually spin this technique as a new, fat-reducing hack
– unless you use that to butter the toast, which isn’t a dumb idea.

By the way, I hope you like your yolks runny, since if you
don’t, this is not going to be nearly as great. Which reminds me, why do people
not like runny yolks? What’s not to like? I hope they don’t think they’re
dangerous, because they’re not. Anyway, if you are a fan of the flow, this
fried cheese egg toast is the way to go, so I really do hope you give this a
try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one Fried Cheese Egg Toast:

1 ounce grated cheddar cheese

pinch red pepper flakes

1 large egg

1 piece of toast

sliced green onions to garnish

pinch of salt

*Note: For best results, rub your non-stick pan with a few
drops of olive oil

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Ever since I saw Alton Brown grilling skirt steak on hot coals, I’ve wanted to try this technique for a larger hunk
of meat, but it was the realization that no one had yet called a recipe
“barbarian beef,” that provided the final push.

By the way, I did no historical
research, but I assume your average barbarian was too busy pillaging to lug a
grill around, and just cooked their meat right on the coals. So, for the purposes of this post, that's the story we'll be going with.

I used top round for this, and if
you’re just going to slice it thin, and make sandwiches it’s fine, but now that
I have a little experience, I’d like to try it with a tenderer cut. No matter
what you use, you’ll want to take it off a few degrees under whatever your
regular internal temp target is, since it definitely continues to cook after
you take it off the coals.

It’ll depend on the size/shape of your
cut, but use a thermometer to check, as the temp will probably climb by at
least 10 degrees. Above and beyond doneness, the flavor of the beef really was
great. Very similar to something off a grill, but with a little bit deeper
level of smokiness. Even if you don’t cook your steak on the coals, the sauce
was quite nice, and comes highly recommended, but officially, I really do hope
you give both a try soon. Enjoy!

Friday, May 11, 2018

I know chocolate granola sort of sounds like candy, but introducing
cocoa into the mix not only makes it delicious, it also actually makes it
better for you! Possibly. No one is really sure. The point is this really
tastes great, and would make a wonderful treat for the chocolate lover, mother
or otherwise, in your life.

I showed amazing restraint not adding anything more that
oatmeal and almonds, since I really think that’s the best plan for the
chocolate base, but I would have no problem with you accessorizing this as you see
fit. Coconut flakes are an obvious choice, as are other usual suspects like
dried fruit, any and all nuts, and assorted seeds.

If you want a stickier granola, that will more easily clump
together, you can up the brown sugar and maple syrup a bit, as I used the bare
minimum in this recipe, but I think it’s plenty sweet enough, especially if
you’re a fan of dark chocolate.

Speaking of chocolate, I used Guittard’s Cocoa Rouge, a
Dutch-process cocoa, which has a lower acidity than regular cocoa, and works
perfectly flavor-wise. However, I’ve heard that type of cocoa doesn’t retain as
much of the nutritional value, due to the way it’s processed. The good news is,
any high-quality cocoa will work here.

By the way, I was only half-kidding about making this for
someone, and then keeping it all for yourself, so best play it safe, and make a
double, or triple batch. No matter how much you make, or what you add in, I
really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 3 1/2 cups of Chocolate Granola:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon fine salt)

pinch of cayenne

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (Dutch-processed if possible)

2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup chopped almonds

- Mix, and bake at 250 F. for about an hour, or until as
crunchy/chewy as you like.